Teen pushes handicapped-accesible playground

TUPELO – Fairpark may get a handicapped-accessible playground this summer, if a Tupelo High School junior is able to raise money for the project.
The Tupelo Redevelopment Agency, the group that oversees the development of Fairpark, voted Wednesday to donate land and $1,000 to the project proposed by Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds estimates it will cost about $5,700 to build the playground. He plans to seek donations and to host fundraisers to make up the difference.
“I saw this idea on TV and thought it would be great for Fairpark to allow all sorts of children in Tupelo to play,” he said.
TRA members conditioned the approval on final review of the appearance of the playground and the location.
They hope to connect it to the current playground, which was funded by the Tupelo Women’s Club.
The playground plans presented by Reynolds include panels where children can play drums or bells with their hands. One of the pieces is an adaptive swing, which the maker, BYO Playground, says is designed for children with movement-limiting disabilities.
Reynolds hopes to get the playground built this summer so he can write about it next school year for his senior project.